Human rights start with recognizing the importance of every individual. Peace starts from fostering friendship with others.
Since the ultimate enemy is dehumanization, the ultimate solution must be a revitalization and restoration of humanity.
Hell is by no means a figment of the imagination. It exists in our very lives, right here on earth. Hell, indeed, is the agony we suffer during life, and there is no man-made hell worse than war.
Each of us, no matter how weak or ineffectual we may feel ourselves to be, must build deep within our hearts a stronghold for peace, one that will be capable of withstanding and in the end silencing the incessant calls to war. This is the only way humanity's tragic predilection for violence can be reformed and its energies channeled in new directions.
For both victor and vanquished, war leaves only a sense of endless futility.
Peace is not simply the absence of war; it is a state in which people come together in mutual trust and live with joy, energy, and hope. This is the polar opposite of war-where people live plagued by hatred and the fear of death.
Peace is not found somewhere far away. Peace is found where there is caring. Peace is found when you bring joy to your mother instead of suffering. Peace is found when you reach out and make an effort to understand and embrace someone who is different from you.
Nothing is more precious than peace. Nothing brings more happiness. Peace is the most basic starting point for the advancement of humankind.
Just as fire is extinguished by water, hatred can only be defeated by love and compassion.
From a healed, peaceful heart, humility is born; from humility, a willingness to listen to others is born; from a willingness to listen to others, mutual understanding is born; and from mutual understanding, a peaceful society will be born. Nonviolence is the highest form of humility; it is supreme courage.
We need to awaken to a common consciousness of being all inhabitants of Earth. This consciousness is not to be found in some distant place. It will not be found on a computer screen. It lies in our hearts, in our ability to share the pain of our fellow human beings. It is the spirit that says: "As long as you are suffering, whoever you are and whatever your suffering may be, I suffer also."
Every war, when viewed from the undistorted perspective of life's sanctity, is a "civil war" waged by humanity against itself.
